The relationship between higher-order thinking skills and academic engagement in online English learning: The mediating role of academic emotion regulation strategies.

Online learning has become a prevalent and efficient learning approach with the rapid advancement of education digitization. Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), academic emotion regulation strategies (AERS), and academic engagement (AE) are all important factors for the success of university students, but their connections have not been thoroughly investigated in Chinese online English teaching. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the interaction of HOTS, AERS and AE in online university English learning among 313 non-English majors within the English as a foreign language (EFL) context of China. Through iterative validation and modification using Bootstrap, the study established a structural equation model (SEM) which provided a good fit. The research findings revealed that HOTS positively predict both AE and AERS, while AERS also positively predict AE. Additionally, AERS partially mediated the relationship between HOTS and AE. This study enhances the understanding of HOTS and AERS for foreign language education researchers and educators, offering insights for improving online English teaching quality.